Combined differential and reversing gear



May 27, 1930. W 1,760,839

' COMBINED DIFFERENTIAL AND REVERSING GEAR Filed April 30, 1927 gwumlocattolmg Patented May 27, 1930 UNITED STATES mam PATENT. OFFICE,

HAROLD DREW, or LANSING, MICHIGAN, AssIGNoR 1 0 GENERAL MoTo s. coRroRA-'I'ION, or DETROIT, MICHIGAN, a CORPORATION or DELAWARE COMBINEDDIFFERENTIAL AND REvERsINe GEAR Application filed April 30,

motive vehicles and is particularly concerned with the type of mechanismused in connection with a wobble plate transmission.

As is well known, the ratchet mechanism used in connection with a wobbleplate transmission permits of a drive in one direction only and theobject of the present improvement is to overcome this difficulty byproviding Within the rear axle housing a mechanism which will be capableof reversing the direction of the automotive vehicle, and also allowfora differential movement of the axle. V

In carrying out the invention, use 1s made of the usual split rear driveaxle. The ratchet drum containing the ratchets used in connection withthe wobble plate is loose ly mounted on one of the axle halves andtransmits the power from the engine through my improved differential andrevers ng gear.

The ratchet drum has a gear connected thereto by means of a collarsurrounding the axle half. This gear meshes with an internal gear insidethe transmission housing and through this gear the motion is transmittedto the housing. Through a system of gears the motion is transferred tothe two axle halves and this system of gears also allows for adifferential movement between the two halves;

The axle housing has the internal teeth and in order to reverselthedrive the differential housing as a whole is shifted so as to causethe'external teeth thereon to mesh with the internal teeth of the axlehousing. Inasmuch as the difierential housing will now be stationary, nodifferential movement can take place, but the drive will be in thereverse direction.

The invention is disclosed in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a transverse section through the rear axle of an automobileshowing the mechanism of my invention in position to function with adifierential effect.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but of the parts in positionforreverse driving.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detailed View of the 1927. '.Serial No. 187,894;

gears of the 'difierential mechanism taken on the line 3.3 of Fig. 1. i

Fig. 4 is a seotional View ofthe wobble plate and ratchet mechanism usedto trans-- mit power to the rear axle. g

Referring to the numbered'parts'on the drawing, 10 indicates the rearaxle housing of an automobile and 11 and 12 the halves of the" drivingaxle. a

Loosely surrounding the axle half 12 is a drum 13 on which are mountedthe ratchets 141 driven by the links 15 from thewobble plate 16 which inturn is drivenfromthe drive shaft 17. 1

The drum 13 has a collar 18 and a gear19 v shown as integral therewithbut obviously they may be separately construc-tedand rigid- 1y unitedinany suitable way.

The diflerential housing is shown at 20 f and has an internal gear 21and theexternal teethg22. The housing is provided with a plurality ofshafts 23, 24, 25 and 26 upon which are mounted the gears 27, 28, 29 and30 respectively. 'The gears 27, 28, 29 and 30 are of the same size, thegears 27 and 28 as one group and 29 and 30 as a second group overlappingat their ends and intermeshing.

' The axle half-12 has a gear 31 rigid with its end portion while theaxle half 11 has a gear 32 splined on its end.: The gear 32 has a,bearing collar33 for the reception of the bearing portion 33 of thehousing 20, and a shifting collar 34. The gear 32 and collars 33 and 3 1are shown as integral but they may obviously be separately constructedand then united in any suitable way.

I In the position of the parts shown in Fig. I 1, it will be noted thatthe gear31 isin mesh with the gears 27 and 29 while the gear 32 mesheswith the gears 28 and 30 and when the-drive is transmitted from the gear19 to the. internal gear 21, it will cause a rotation of the housing 20,which in turn will. 7 transmit its motion to the gears 27, 28 29 and 30,then to the gears 31 and 32 rigid with the axle halves 11 and 12. Due tothe rotation of the housing 20 it isobvious that a differential effectmay be obtained between the shaft halves .11 and 12.

The axle housing 10 has the internal teeth 85 which are adapted to meshwith the external teeth 22 on the housing 20. By means of a suitableyoke applied to the collar 84.

and a system of linkage the housing 20 may be shifted to the right,referring to Fig. 1, causing the teeth 22 to mesh with the internalteeth35 of the axle housing 10, and thereby prevent rotation of the housing22. The position of the parts with thehousingshifted is shownin 2.''llh'edrive, instead ofi being transmitted thr'ough'the internalga'r' 21on the inside-of the housing-29,.ismow transmitted directly from thegear 19 to the gears 27 and 29, to the intermes-hinglagears 28;

and 30, respectively, and then to the gears 31 and '32 on the ends'oftheshafts- 1'1 and 12; This will givethe drive inthereverse'direction',"but owing to the meshing of gears 81" and82with thesame'gears' 27, 28 and 29; 30

-. and tothe interlocking of thehou'sing 20iwith' the axle housing 10,no differential movement willbepermitted; p

The housing '20has a bearing portion at 36 which slidesover the collar18 of the drum 13 andwhile the liousing20'is'shown as of one'integralwhole'in Figs. 1 and'2 it'may obvious'ly' be constructedlwith its endsseparate so as to permit ofa ready assemblage ofthe c parts. I I claim:

1. In combination with a motor vehicle, a

divided'drive axle havinganinclosing housing,teeth on said housing,arotata'ble diiferential housing? within' saidaxle housing andsurrounding andfdriving the axleends, teeth on said differentialhousing, means for shift ing said, differential housing to cause tointerengagement' of said teeth on the two housings toth'ereby preventrotation of'said differential housing," and means operative upontheengagement of said housings to cause reverse rotation of said, axle; e a

2; The structure of cl'aiin'l, said last named means. comprising.driving gearing for said rotatable housing and differential gearing insaid housing forming the driving connection for the axle ends, theshifting of sa'idrotatw ble housing causing the disengagement of saiddriving gearingand the engagement of the driving gear thereof'with'thedifferential? gearing. I I

In combinationiwith a motor vehicle, a.

, divided driving axle, a rotatable housing surrounding' thedividedends, means for driving the housing,'a'differential mechanism insaid housing for transmitting a differential motion to the axle,.astationary housing for 531d21XlB,,21I1Cl ll162LIlS'fOI causing saidrotatable housing to engage said axle housing to prevent rotat onthereof, and meansopera tive upon the engagement'of said housings tocause a reverse rotation. of the driv ng axle. 4. The structure of claim3', said last named means comprising drivinggearing for said rotatablehousing and differential gearing in of. said gears, ineans includingadriving-e1 divided portions one gear being shiftable, a 3 housingsurrounding :theends offthe divided portions andsaidgears,"adiiferential mechanism-in; sa d housing-for caus ng therotation of said gears, means for driving said housiing; aneans ;;f'orshifting-said shiftable gear and housing to cause the latter to engage astationary part ofthe vehicle-and-prevent rotation of the housing, and'meansoperativeupon-the engagement of SQId 'hOUSIDgS to cause a reverserotation 'of'theaxle'.

6. In COHlblHtliI-IOII'WliZh' an automotive ve hicle, a divided reardrivingaxle, a drum freely mounted on one "of said divided a'x le' 5portions, a driving element rigidwith saida drum, a"housingsurroundingsaid elementyand ad acent axle ends, means-integral with saidhousing forengaging saicl elementrtor cause rotation of sa d housing, and a differ:ential in said-housingfordriving said axle; l

7. The combination ofjclai m '6, said hous ing being shiftabletocause'it to engage witha stationary part of the'vehicle to--thereby holdit from rotation, and meansoperative I upon the engagementof t'hehousings and stationary the axle.= s v c 8; Incombination-withanautomotive vehicle, a divided" driving axle, gears on said'divided-portionsone gear beingshiftable, a housing surroundngthe endsof 1 the divided portions and said gears, a 'di'fi'erential mocha partto cause a reverse rotatio 'i-of s nism ill-Said housing forcausing-therotation l ment extending'in" the housing for dr ivi 'n'gsaid housing, ineans fOTfShl'ftl-Ilg said'shif t fablegear'an'dliousingto-causethe latter to engage a stationary part of thevehicle and pre} vent rotation off'the h using, said-"shifting alsocausingflsa'id driving means to become disengaged and' oausing sa iddriving elemei'it" to directly engage the difierentia finechanisni tothereby drive theaxle.

9; 1 In combination; with. a: moto vehicle, divided driving axle, a'shiftablgearon;the

'e idof one of said; divided axle-portions, a; housing movable with saidgear and sun-grounding said divided ends, a driving trainvg' of gears todrive said gear through said housing, manualimeans for shiftingsaidtgearand housing, todisengage one element of said ing thehousing to engageastationary part of the vehicle to. prevent the rotation of" the housing,said shifting causingother-gear's of said driving'train to becomeengaged to drive driving-train from said housing tointerruptaei thenormal drivingof said vehicle and caus said gear in a reverse directionwhen said housing is stationary.

10. In a diil'erential, a divided driving axle, a housing surroundingsaid axle ends, means engaging the housing to drive or rotate the same,gearing mounted in said housing and rotatable therewith and capable oftransmitting a differential drive to both parts of said divided axle, astationary member, means for shifting said housing into engagement withsaid member and simultaneously causing the disengagement or" saidhousing driving means from said housing and its direct engagement withsaid differential gearing to destroy the differential action and therebycause a reverse rotation of said axle parts through the gears of saiddifferential.

11. In a differential, a divided driving axle, a housing surroundingsaid axle ends, means engaging the housing to drive or rotate the same,gearing mounted in said housing and rotatable therewith and capable oftransmitting a diiterential drive to both parts of said divided axle, astationary member, means for shifting said housing into engagement withsaid member and simultaneously causing the disengagement of said.housingdriving .means from said housing and its direct engagement with saiddifferential gearing to destroy the differential action and therebycause a reverse rotation of said axle through a direct drive from thegears of said differential.

12. In combination with an automotive vehicle, a divided rear drivingaxle, gears on adjacent ends, a drum freely mounted on one of saiddivided axle portions, a drivin ele ment rigid with said drum, ashittable housing surrounding said element and adjacent axle ends andgears, means integral with said housing for engaging said element tocause rotation of said housing, a differential mounted-in said housingincluding independently rotatable differential gears for driving saidaxle, means for shifting said housing to disr engage said drivingelement from said housing and cause engagement of said element directlywith some of the diflerential gears and engagement of both axle gearswith the other of the differential gears to cause a reverse rotation ofthe axle.

13. In combination with a motor vehicle, a divided driving axle, ashittable gear on the end of one of said divided axle portions, ahousingmovable with said gear and surrounding said divided ends, a gear rigidwith the other axle port-ion, means including a rotatable differentialto drive said gears through said housing, manual means for shifting saidgear and housing to disengage the normal operation of said diiierentialand driving means and to cause the housing to engage with a stationarypart of the vehicle, said differential and driving means driving saidgear when said housing is stationary and operative incident to theengagement of said the direction of movement of said gear and vehicle.

14. In combination with a motor vehicle, a divided drlvlng axle, a gearllglCl with one axle end, a shittable gear on the other axle end, ahousing surrounding both gears and shiftable with said shift'able gearand adapted to engage with a stationary part of the vehicle, and meansmounted in said housing for driving said gears through said housing witha differential action, the shifting of said gear and housing throwingout one of the gears of the driving means to cause its direct engagementwith other gears in said means-to destroy the differential action andproduce reverse rotation of the gears and of the axle.

15. In combination with a motor vehicle, a divided driving axle, arotatable housing on said axle, a gear wholly within said housing, meansextending inside said housing to drive said gear to rotate said housing,a plurality of gears mounted in said housing and rotatable therewith,and a gear secured to each part of the axle for driving the same fromsaid plurality of gears.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

HAROLD DREW.

